 Eternally your Mother Earth
by Nilma Dole
This is your country, your world
and you have many more years to live in it. I am sure, you must be
dreaming that it will be a comfortable, pleasant and beautiful world to
be in.
 But, will your dreams come true? Human beings are totally responsible
for global warming and climate change but to postpone disaster, all of
us should get together and do at least one little thing each day to save
Mother Earth. -Irangani Serasinghe
Climate change is still a burning world-wide topic but despite those
international conferences where many leaders talk endlessly for hours,
hardly anything tangible is done. In Sri Lanka, however, leading
hospitality conglomerate Jetwing have proved for three years, that they
can do something to minimise global warming by maintaining their Eternal
Earth project (JEEP).
JEEP not only gets visitors and locals to plant trees but to spread
the message of going green by getting schoolchildren involved in the
project. On a warm Wednesday morning, I managed to put on my JEEP
t-shirt and then join the bandwagon by campaigning for a greener and
cleaner Mother Earth.
Angie Samuel, PR Manager of Jetwing said, “Each hotel and other
operation units within the Jetwing family have taken on two new foster
schools over the year. JEEP’s aim is to educate children on Global
Warming, Bio-diversity, Home/School Gardening and Good Earth Saving
Practices.” Boarding the Jetwing van to Negombo, my memory flashed back
three years ago, when I planted my first JEEP tree at Hunas Falls.
The best part about it was that I could track the progress of my tree
and several more I planted in the first year anniversary last year on
the website www.eternalearth.net.
 Why can’t everyone feel the burning desire to help Mother Nature by
planting a tree just anywhere to prevent climate change? Setting the
example for other hospitality counterparts to follow, the Hunas Falls
hotel quickly converted into a total eco-friendly hotel.
A Wood Gasifier and a Mini-Hydro power project with another
Gliricidia Sepium Gasifier as well help generate free energy to run an
environment-friendly hotel operation without having to depend on
external sources.
The Jetwing Eternal Earth Project has been very successful in the
schools that many others also want to join in this positive campaign.
Schools now have nurseries and their own home gardens which help them
not only understand and protect Mother Nature but also make them
self-sufficient and value organic food.
The Negombo JEEP event saw many distinguished guests like the Mayor
of Negombo who emphasised the need to work not just collectively but
individually to implement nature-friendly practices. So don’t just waste
time but go outside, take a breath of fresh air and plant a tree! |
